We all know that the emissions from our cars – whether diesel or petrol – are bad news for the environment. With the British government talking about ways to improve air quality around the country, those who own diesel vehicles in particular may be wondering whether they should keep hold of them or trade them in for something else.

Continental – a company that’s best known for its tyres – has developed what it’s describing as super clean electrified diesel technology to help combat the issue of emissions from diesel cars.

The organisation talked exclusively to Auto Express about the work it has been doing and explained why it could be such an important breakthrough for diesel drivers.

It’s worth looking at the headline figures for the technology that Continental has developed – it reduces emissions by 60 per cent, while improving fuel consumption by four per cent.

Johannes Drechsel, development engineer at the company, explains how their electrified after-treatment system works to cut emissions.

“Instead of a normal catalytic converter that relies on the engine to bring it up to temperature, our catalyst relies on electricity from the 48V system to heat up,” he stated.

It seems UK drivers are already beginning to look at alternatives to diesel-fuelled cars, with the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showing that new diesel car registrations were down by 14.7 per cent in June, compared to a year earlier.